4th of July Safety Tips
Local Red Cross Volunteers Help 12 People Affected by Home Fires in the Past Week
June 27, 2022 – As we get ready to celebrate Independence Day, many people plan to attend fireworks
displays, a backyard picnic or perhaps enjoy fun at the beach. The American Red Cross offers these tips
so you can enjoy a fun-packed, safe holiday.
Fireworks Safety
The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend a public firework show put on by professionals. Stay at least
500 feet away from the show. Many states outlaw most fireworks. Leave any area immediately where
untrained amateurs are using fireworks. If you are setting fireworks off at home, follow these safety steps:
• Never give fireworks to small children, and never throw or point a firework toward people,
animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials. Always follow the instructions on the
packaging.
• Keep a supply of water close by as a precaution.
• Make sure the person lighting fireworks always wears eye protection.
• Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight “a dud.”
• Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.
Picnic Safety
• Wash your hands before preparing the food.
• Don’t leave food out in the hot sun. Keep perishable foods in a cooler with plenty of ice or freezer
gel packs.
• If you are going to cook on the grill, never grill indoors. Keep the grill out in the open, away from
the house, the deck, tree branches or anything that could catch fire.
• Always supervise the grill when in use. Don’t add charcoal starter fluid when coals have already
been ignited. Use the long-handled tools especially made for cooking on the grill to keep the chef
safe.
• Make sure everyone, including pets, stays away from the grill.
Beach Safety
Watch the weather and get out of the water at the first sign of lightning or the rumble of thunder. Stay
indoors and away from water for 30 minutes after the last lightning flashes or thunder roars. Plan ahead
for aquatic activities:
• Swim only at a beach with a lifeguard, within the designated swimming area. Obey all instructions
and orders from lifeguards and ask them about local condition
• Always designate a “water watcher” whose sole responsibility is to keep a close eye and constant
attention on everyone in and around the water until the next water watcher takes over
• Children, inexperienced swimmers, and all boaters should wear properly fitted U.S. Coast Guardapproved life jackets.
• Protect your neck – don’t dive in headfirst. Walk carefully into open waters. Watch out for and
avoid aquatic life.
• If you are caught in a rip current, stay calm and don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the shore until you
are out of the current. Then, turn and swim to shore. If you can’t swim to shore, float or tread
water until you are free of the rip current and then head toward shore. Draw attention to yourself
by waving and calling for help.
Home Fire Response
American Red Cross volunteers responded to 5 home fires in South Central Illinois in the past week.
Volunteers responded to incidents in Gillespie, Louisville, Marion, Pittsburg and Vandalia.
During this past week, the Red Cross provided assistance to 12 individuals, through supplying them with
basic items to meet immediate needs after a fire, and additional support in the form of health and mental
health services and one-on-one support as the families involved work through next steps after
experiencing a home fire.
If you or someone you know needs assistance after a home fire or local disaster, please call our dispatch
line: (877) 597-0747.
Home fires are the most frequent disaster and claim seven lives every day in the U.S. Working smoke
alarms can cut the risk of death in a home fire by 50 percent. To help protect your household, test your
smoke alarms each month and practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two
minutes.
Visit redcross.org/fire for more information. Download our free Emergency app by searching for
“American Red Cross” in app stores. Free resources are available to help children learn what to do during
a home fire and other emergencies.
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission.
For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter @RedCrossIL.
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